Kevin Cuneo: Rent-Way part of Davis book

In his new book, Lanny Davis, former White House special counsel to President Bill Clinton, writes an interesting chapter on Rent-Way and its former chairman, William Morgenstern. Davis, 67, remains a powerful force in Washington, D.C., and his book, “Crisis Tales: Five Rules for Coping with Scandal in Business, Politics, Life,” is climbing up the best-seller list. It’s clear Davis has affection for Morgenstern, the Erie native who built Rent-Way into a major company before it was brought down by an accounting scandal. Davis also profiles Trent Lott, Gene Upshaw and Martha Stewart in the book. ... The Jefferson Educational Society will feature another impressive lineup of speakers at its fall summit, including David Gergen, adviser to four U.S. presidents. Howard Dean and Bill Kristol will have a debate, and the society will also bring Erie native Harry Markopolos back to town. Markopolos became a national figure as the whistle-blower in BernieMadoff’s securities fraud scandal. ... Gannon University is touting 1972 graduate Daniel Ruth, who recently won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Ruth and co-worker Tim Nickens won for their work for the Tampa Bay Times in St. Petersburg, Fla. Ruth is Gannon’s second journalism Pulitzer Prize winner. Robert Phelps, from the class of 1939—before the school was even known as Gannon College, won for a series on desegregation he wrote for the BostonGlobe. ... Now that Chris Hagerty has been promoted to director of strategic initiatives for Cathedral Prep and Villa MariaAcademy, the schools are looking for a new director of advancement. Hagerty served in that position since 2003.

--

Art Arkelian, already looking ahead to his 50th Erie sports banquet, has spoken to the two Hall of Fame football players who headlined his first dinner back in 1963— Jim Brown and Paul Hornung. Arkelian said both men are interested in returning to speak at the dinner, which in recent years has taken place in February. ...When you see Erie hair stylist Karen Mancuso, congratulate her on a recent milestone birthday.... Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Patrick Leary, D.O., is in Chengdu, China, at the invitation of government officials, to help train Chinese specialty physicians to become family physicians. Leary said China has an overabundance of specialty doctors,and is in dire need of more family physicians. ... It was clear from the huge turnout at his funeral that Chuck Conway was beloved in Erie. When the 45-year-old Wendy’s executive died suddenly on May 3, it sent shock waves through the community. He had so many good friends of all ages, and we will miss him very much....Mean Joe Greene’s recent retirement from the Pittsburgh Steelers personnel office reminded me of the evening I spent with him and two salesmen who won the honor of having dinner with him. The affable Greene drew a crowd wherever we went. The restaurant’s chef prepared special dishes for us,and the musicians asked him which songs he wanted to hear. The only thing he didn’t like was to be addressed as Mean Joe. “It’s just Joe,” he’d say. ... Fifteen-year-old Shauna Case,who performed with the Erie Playhouse Showstoppers when she lived here, just released a new album. Case,who moved with her family to Los Angeles three years ago, stars on Nick Cannon’s comedy show, “Incredible Crew,” on the Cartoon Network.